Melee weapons
Melee Weapons are used in close-range combat. They generally deal higher damage than ranged weapons and require no ammunition. In Warband, some ranged weapons can also be used as melee weapons. Weapons can have modifiers that indicate increased or decreased stats. While one of the available modifiers is "Heavy", the Heavy Sabre, Heavy Bastard Sword, and Heavy Lance are actually different weapons from their "non-Heavy" counterparts; these cannot carry the "Heavy" modifier, thus there is no Heavy Heavy Sabre. Please note that the following statistics are accurate for Warband, numbers shown here may no longer be correct for Mount&Blade equivalents. One-handed weapons One-handed Weapons are usually fast, light, and can be used with a shield. On the downside, they have a shorter reach and don't deal as much damage as Two-handed Weapons or Polearms. Two-handed weapons Two-handed weapons include large axes, swords, and hammers. They can deal more damage per-hit and have a longer reach than their one-handed counterparts, but you cannot use a shield with them and they generally attack more slowly. With quick reflexes, a two-handed weapon can still be used to effectively block many attacks, but are quite useless against projectiles. While on horseback, a damage and speed penalty are applied to the weapon, similarly to One-handed/Two-handed weapons. This penalty is applied after the damage increase from power strike and at higher levels of power strike the stronger two-handed weapons will still out damage most one-handed weapons with similar reach, even on horseback. Two-hand/one-hand weapons Two-handed/One-handed Weapons can be used either one-handed or two-handed, and have the advantages and disadavantages of both weapon types depending on how the weapon is used. To switch between one and two handed, you have to equip/unequip your shield. Using such a weapon will allow you to choose lesser damage and good defense or good damage and lesser defense. Any one/two handed weapon will deal more damage and swing faster when used with both hands. Note that when on horseback, melee weapons are wielded with one hand only, but while holding the shield your "One-Handed Proficiency" will increase, and without the shield, your "Two-Handed Proficiency" will increase. Wielding the weapon with a shield provides more defense, whereas a two-handed grip can offer more reach (which may be preferable on horseback) at the cost of the shield blocking ability. The stats below apply when using the two handed mode. When using the one handed mode, all damage and speeds are reduced by 25%. That makes the one-handed mode deal a damage similar to a rather mediocre weapon, at least until a higher level of power strike has been applied. *Club with Spike is only in Mount&Blade and was replaced with the Spiked Staff in Warband. Polearms Polearms generally have a higher weapon reach than other melee weapons, though they are tricky to be used effectively without a horse because once an enemy closes distance, a polearm becomes useless, thus Horses are essential for maintaining distance. Some polearms can't be used with a shield due to their large size or due to a need to balance the weapon. Certain polearms can be used to strike the enemy using a 'couched' technique. This can be done when on a horse and moving at a fairly high speed. Unless specifically noted below, most polearms can be used with a shield, but are then limited to only a thrusting attack. Most polearms are limited to thrusting attack only when used on horseback with the exception of Hafted Blades. Unmounted polearm attacks can stop a horse as if it ran into a solid obstacle, regardless of damage dealt, speed, or the horse's Charge attribute. This unique feature makes a polearm something of an anti-cavalry weapon. Polearm/Two-hand weapons Polearm/Two-handed Weapons can be switched between the two styles, giving different stats depending on your choice. There is a minor difference in reach with these weapons in each mode due to the different way your character's model holds the weapon, though no statistical difference is seen. As a general rule, two-handed mode will have further reaching, but slower swings while polearm mode will have faster attacks with shorter reach with the exception of thrusts provided your proficiency with both is of a similar level. Using one of these weapons allows one to choose whether to attack with thrust or with swing from horseback. See Also *Weapons *''List of Melee Weapons'' Category:Equipment